Philosophy / Unit 7 Philosophy 0292 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Formula of Humanity
Captions available
The idea
Kant's formula of humanity: treat persons always as ends in themselves, never merely as means—people are not tools, whatever the payoff.
In practice
Deceiving, coercing, using: each bypasses a person's own reason. The "merely" matters—hiring a plumber uses; enslaving one merely uses.
Where people slip
Kant held the formulas equivalent; many readers find this one the stronger guide. Both claims are debated.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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